Lockout laws should be scrapped in Sydney CBD but remain in Kings Cross, report finds
Sydney’s lockout laws should be scrapped in the CBD — including Oxford Street — but remain in Kings Cross, a major parliamentary report has recommended.
NSW
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Sydney’s lockout laws should be scrapped in the CBD — including Oxford Street — but remain in Kings Cross, a major parliamentary report has recommended.
A cross-party committee charged with investigating Sydney’s flagging night-time economy found the city was “foregoing $16 billion a year” as a result of the 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks rules.
The chair of the report Natalie Ward said the $27 billion economy “could be worth $43 billion” if the laws were removed.
Independent MP Alex Greenwich, also on the committee, said this should be done “with appropriate urgency”.
The report found while the 2014 lockout laws were effective in reducing alcohol-fuelled violence, “Kings Cross is not yet sufficiently changed to warrant a complete reversal”.
However, it recommended “the development of a pathway to deconcentrate and diversify the Kings Cross precinct” and a review of the removal of the laws within 12-months.
This would include improving lighting and streetscapes to address safety concerns and creating a pathway for licences to be transferred to outside the area “to reduce the density of venues”.
However, one major concession recommends the mandated hours of expensive ID scanners in the precinct be reduced to require operation from 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights only.
Venues that voluntarily operate ID scanners outside of these hours “should be offered recognition and incentives”.
The committee found there were 1,921 fewer assaults in the Kings Cross precinct as a result of the laws between January 2014 and March 2019, with non-domestic assaults dropping by 52.8 per cent.
Newcastle should also review removing its lockout laws if the Sydney reforms are successful, the report stated.
The Joint Select Committee on Sydney’s Night Time Economy, which released its report this morning, made 40 recommendations in total.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she looked forward to presenting the government’s response to the recommendations “shortly”.
“I thank the Night Time Economy Committee for their important work,” she said.
“We always need to find the right balance between community safety and boosting the night time economy.”
Merivale owner Justin Hemmes urged the NSW government to adopt all of the recommendations “as soon as possible”.
“With the imminent completion and launch of Sydney’s CBD light rail project and the pedestrianisation of George Street, we have an unprecedented opportunity to initiate a rebirth of our inner city and put it back on the international map,” he said.
“We note that everyone wants to feel safe, no matter what time of day or night and we will work closely with all stakeholders to create a vibrant future for a city with a safe, fun and diverse culture that reflects the 24 hour energy of Tokyo, London and New York.”
Sydney Business Chamber executive director Katherine O’Regan said repealing the lockout laws was a “great opportunity for our global city to shine again and capitalize on the extra $16 billion in economic activity we’ve been missing out on for too long.”
Director of emergency at St Vincent’s Hospital Dr Paul Preisz said he was pleased the lockouts would remain in Kings Cross but expressed concern about alcohol-fuelled incidents elsewhere in the CBD.
“We’ve had no deaths in our emergency department related to incidents in Kings Cross in the same way we saw those laws came into being so we would hope they would not change the laws,” he said.
“Kings Cross was the most extreme example of an environment where critically we had to change something but the same features and factors were present in all of those other areas so it’s our view we would see similar dangers.”
Committee for Sydney chair Michael Rose said the report was an “important milestone to rebuild Sydney’s 24-hour economy”.
“We also welcome a focus on delivering smarter regulation of the night-time economy that doesn’t stifle well-run venues and allows sensible flexibility of planning laws, to encourage more small bars, cafes and arts & culture venues,” he said.
Labor’s spokesman for the night-time economy John Graham said the alcohol reforms should be staged.
“Any reform of the 2014 laws should be introduced in stages, monitored and tested as it is introduced,” he said.
Australian Hotels Association NSW director of liquor and policing John Green said the report contained “common-sense recommendations”.
“At the outset we welcome several recommendations which, if implemented, will assist in enhancing Sydney’s nightlife,” he said.
“These include removing the 1.30am lockout in the Sydney CBD, identifying well-run venues and the return of takeaway sales of alcohol to midnight.”
Ms Berejiklian has previously signalled she would scrap lockout restrictions on bars, pubs, and clubs across the Sydney CBD to revive the city’s flagging night-life.
But she has insisted they should remain in Kings Cross.
The lockout laws, which were first introduced by the O’Farrell government in February 2014 after the fatal bashings of two teens, were hailed as a solution to incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence.
Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie died in separate assaults in 2012 and 2013 in Kings Cross.
Under the current legislation, nightclubs and bars in the city, Kings Cross and Darlinghurst areas must deny entry to new customers after 1.30am and serve last drinks by 3am.